ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bear — the animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tear — to rip
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pop — soda
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tear — from crying
  13. swing — in golf
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wound — an injury
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. swing — music
  24. bark — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com